The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders will face off against the Western Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (St. Thomas Aquinas: 2.2, Western: 2.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Western is facing St. Thomas Aquinas at the wrong time: St. Thomas Aquinas suffered their first home loss of the season on Saturday and they're likely out for redemption. They took a 7-4 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Titans. The loss was the Raiders' first of the season.
Julian Diaz was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he tossed 4.1 innings while giving up just two earned runs off one hit.
On the hitting side, Zack Malvasio made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored four runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. What's more, he posted three hits, the most he's had since back in March of 2024. Joshua Jennings also deserves some recognition as he stolen his first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Western didn't have quite enough to beat Stoneman Douglas on Thursday and fell 8-7. The loss was the Wildcats' first of the season.
Western also got a good showing from Rhyss Rojas, who pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the first time Rojas hasn't allowed a single hit since back in March of 2024.
At the plate, Miguel Tapia was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Gavin Andreu was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.
Even though they lost, Western lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Having lost for the first time this season, St. Thomas Aquinas fell to 4-1-1. As for Western, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 4-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. St. Thomas Aquinas has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Western struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
